Sean Gentille

Toronto acquired defenseman John-Michael Liles in the offseason to fill the role formerly occupied by Tomas Kaberle: a puck-moving defenseman capable of playing on the power play.

Liles has been solid in that capacity, and on Wednesday signed a four-year extension with an annual cap hit of $3.875 million. The contract, according to the Globe and Mail, will pay the 31-year-old $4.25 million in the first three years and $2.75 million in the final year and has partial no-trade clause.

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"Some guys choose to go the unrestricted route, but it's a pretty special feeling when (Leafs GM Brian Burke) went out and traded for me and knowing that he wants me there for years to come," Liles told reporters on a Wednesday conference call.

"As far as money goes, you could say that you leave some on the table. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't ... but I'm looking at it as I was negotiating a contract to stay in a place I wanted to be and play on a team I wanted to play on and live in a city I wanted to live in.

"It feels great. It's a place that's grown very dear to my heart, a place I was excited about getting traded to this summer."

Liles, acquired by Toronto via trade with the Colorado Avalanche, had four goals, 21 points and a plus-2 rating through 34 games before suffering a concussion. Away from the power play, Liles typically plays on Toronto's third defensive pairing with Cody Franson or Mike Komisarek.

The deal means that Burke has more than $18 million locked up in four defensemen through the 2013-14 season: captain and All-Star Dion Phaneuf ($6.5 million), Komisarek ($4.5 million), Liles ($3.875) and Luke Schenn ($3.6 million). The Leafs also have young defensemen Franson, Carl Gunnarsson and Jake Gardiner in the fold, which could put minutes at a premium over the next few years—or, more likely, lead to a trade.